Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-04-21
SWINDLED.
A BIG BUSINESS ON WIND.
The Empire News Company Does q Ten
Thousand Dollar job Through tie
Mails in n Few Weeks with No
Visible Stock in Trade.

ed in East Tennessee that comes to this
office, has been publishing the advertise
ments of the Empire News Co., of Sy-
racuse, New York, headed another Art
Craze" and bargains in Music" The
whole thing has turned out to be a swim.
die and we owe it to our readers to I'M
mask the scoundrels who have been en-
gagged in the fraudulent business. By
the kindness of Mr.. Chas. E, Dosser,
Post-ofice Inspector, at New York, who
has our thanks, we are enabled to do so.
The following extracts from the Syracuse,
N. Y, Standard. fully explain the swim
die:
About January 20. A. B. Osgoodby and
C. II. Roberts came to this city, rented q
room, 10S in the Wieting building AID
made preparations to do a land Office bust
ness as 1.-THE Empire News Company
As a preliminary step they prepared acir
cular for distribution among the publish
ers of country newspapers.
These circulars were sent out by the
thousands through the Western States
bordering on the Mississippi, through
Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas. Penn
s~ylvania, Maine, New Hampshire and
Vermont. One Of the advertisements
told of Bargains in Music" or thirty
two popular songs for forty cents, the adj
vertisement stating that the same music
II bought in sheet form would cost ST.
90. The other sang the praises of can.
other Art Craze" and offered to send an
elegant decorated PLAGUE, 10 inches in
diameter, as a model and a box of deco
rative material with full directions how to
make the most ravishingly beautiful
household ornaments. The lot was offer
ed marvelously cheap. 1t turned out af-
terward that the elegantly decorated
PLAGUE was an ordinary saucer plastered
over with transfer pictures. In response
to the advertisements, newspapers and
letters containing money and orders for
goods came pouring in at a rate which
showed that 1900 country publishers and
many thousands Of other people were
deeply interested in THE Empire News
Company" AS many as 100 newspa-
pers were received during a single week
for this firm through the Syracuse mails.
Postmaster Gilbert's suspicious became
aroused and he wrote to G. p. Merriam
& Co., of Springfield, Mass, the pub
fishers Of Webster's Dictionaries, asking
If they had q contract to furnish una
bridged dictionaries for the Empire News
Company Of this city The reply came
back that the Springfield company knew
nothing of such a firm and that they
were probably frauds.
Meanwhile the business grew. G. ii.
Roberts went away, and has not returned.
w. o. Curtis, however, came on and q
new circular was sent out for insertion in
country newspapers advertising 'Iozone'
for female diseases. About this time also
advertisements of O Ladies' Guide t
: Fancy Work" were scattered to the fou
t corners of the country. A notice wa
Q also inserted in q large number of pa
pers advertising Ladies' to "Lool
Here" and offering TO sell very cheap
", fans, novelties, etc. AT the head o
a this last circular were what purported I
be endorsements of G. II. Roberts by tn
Christian Adrocate, Baptist Weekly an
another religious paper. These endors'
III ments were subsequently found to B
h. fraudulent.
: BY this time the business Of 1.-THE En-
pire News Company" was in avery flou
<. ishing condition. A great deal was con
10 ing in and very little was going out. TIL
10 balance of trade, therefore. was highl
satisfactorily to the partners in the col
Germ, and as there was really nothing
q do but receive the money as fast as
came in, w. o. Curtis packed his tray
cling bag and went away without ar
nouncing his departure through the new
papers.
Postofice Inspector Charles E. Dose
of New York, came to this city and cal
q ed on Postmaster Gilbert. They went Il
y gether to room 1903 in the Wieting blocl
he There they saw A. B. 0sgoodby with Ii
knee upon O trunk containing the stoC
" in trade of "'The Empire News Comp
VI n.y." He was preparing to leave town !
the Chicago ''fyer," which goes west
400 p. m.
ID "Hellol" said Inspector Dosser, "
8 got here just in time, did we!'
"a YOU'RE a precious rascal" remark,
D. Postmaster Gilbert.
y Osgoodby put on q bold front, cou
e, not for the life of him understand VII
is was wrong in his leaving town when
at pleased, and showed o contract which
had closed with the Northwestern Pu
es fishing Company Of Minneapolis, MINI
on TO take his business off his hands, inclu
an ing the sending Of those unabridged d
tionaries 10 fifteen hundred or 81 &C
fiding editors of weekly newspapers.
ed admitted that he received no money
In his part In the transaction.
:, isn't that selling out pretty cheaply
III inquired Postmaster Gilbert. "You ha
OF been receiving from $50 to 400 lett
he every week, most of them c~ontaini
nd money"
Osgoodby replied that he had n go
in' chance to get out of business and thong
It'll he would take advantage Of 1t. He d
as not 60 west last evening, however.
was arrested on q warrant sworn out
Inspector Dosser and is now in q C
'm at the court house. He will be examin
ig. at $50 this morning before United Sta
all Commissioner Northrup. The postoff
10 authorities have convincing evidence
the guilt Of the three partners Of
Empire NEWS OOulphuy. luey Gap
to catch Roberts and Curtis in Minncal
lis, where 1t is believed the Syracuse pr
ary ner intended to join them.
M. 0sgoodby is about 81 years old, wit
Ip smooth face and dark hair and eyes.
DC is as handsome as rogues in novels usr
be- ly are, and is as self. possessed as Napt
nit. on Bonaparte. A year ago he was
rested in Buffalo where he was carry
on a newspaper swindling scheme
anu selling quack medicines. He and his
bly,. s%ociates have had a dozen firm aliases
5 in is believed the profits OF the ventur,
ally this city are not less than $4,000,
| be they may be more.
LOT II we mistake not, this 0sgoodby Is
same fellow who has been SUGGEST
ttee engaged swindling the newspapers
eek years under the name Of W. G. 0sg'
.ne by & Co., alias DR.. Rushe's Medical A
The and Woman's Medical Institute, .
nish Rochester SILK Co., alias osgoodby &
lent, alias the Housewife Pub. Co., alias \
1 10